This invention relates to a plastic case system. It relates more particularly to a system of this type in which substantially identical plastic cases for holding arrays of containers are arranged in a multilayered stack of cases with the cases being keyed to the crowns of the containers in the underlying cases.
Plastic cases for holding containers of tonic, soda, or the like have generally replaced the wood fiber case formerly used for this purpose. The case is molded of a suitable impactresistant plastic and is dimensioned to hold an array of containers of a given size. Preferably, the case is capable of holding 12 bottles larger than 26 ounces in capacity arranged in three rows with four bottles in each row. Also, the case may be provided with integral dividing walls to separate the containers and thus minimize the chances of their being impacted against one another during handling. Examples of such cases are shown in U.S. Pat. Des. 201,307, 209,864 and 3,265,237.
A major drawback with the prior plastic cases of this general type is that they can only be stacked in register one on top of the other. In other words, a stack can be formed composed of single case layers and several stacks can be placed side-by-side to form a stack composed of multiple-case layers. With such an arrangement, the adjacent stacks of cases provide some mutual support; but there is no connection between different cases in the same layer or between the adjacent stacks. Consequently, when the cases are stacked relatively high, e.g., four or five layers, the outer stacks become unstable and sometimes tip over onto the ground.
An attendant disadvantage of prior systems is that the cases tend to slide on conveyor rolls and belts because of the low coefficient of friction of the plastic material.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a plastic case system composed of a multilayer stack of similar cases which is unusually stable as compared with prior systems of this general type.
Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic case for holding an array of containers which can easily be arranged in several different orientations in a stack of similar containers.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified by the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.